Perhaps you’re thinking about adding a room to your Kansas City home. Maybe you’re even wondering how involved the process of expanding your current HVAC system to this new addition will be. One option you may want to consider: installing a ductless mini system. An Energy Star rated ductless mini split can be an excellent choice when you’re adding on to your home but expanding existing ductwork isn’t a workable solution.

Ductless mini-splits use the same technology as air-source heat pumps, which use an outdoor compressor/condenser and an indoor air handling unit (AHU). Refrigerant tubing and electrical harness linking the indoor and outdoor units which are routed through a single conduit, requiring a hole of about three inches through the exterior wall.

The indoor air handling units are non-obtrusive and can be either suspended from the ceiling or hung on the wall. These indoor AHUs come in a variety of styles, so they don’t take away from the aesthetics of the room. Most models come with a remote control for easy management.

When installing a ductless mini system, you gain flexibility in controlling the comfort level for that room without regard to the rest of the home. Energy loss with a mini-split system is minimized because there are no ducts where conditioned air can be lost via air leaks.

Installing a ductless mini system can be more expensive to purchase, but lower operating costs and efficiency save on overall energy costs over time. However, labor costs are reduced with this kind of system because there are no ducts and vents to install.

It’s important that you consider having an HVAC professional install a mini-split system to ensure that the air-handling unit is properly sized and located to avoid wasted energy from short cycling.

For more information about installing a ductless mini system, contact Overland Park Heating & Cooling. We’ve been proudly serving the Kansas City area for over 30 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Overland Park, Kansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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